dates



(No Model.) 2 Sheet-Sheet 1. W. DAVBS.

CIRCUIT CLOSER FOR RAILS.

Patented Sept. 28, 1886.

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Qwi/mwowo (No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2. W. DAVES.

CIRCUIT CLOSER FOR RAILS.

Patented Sept. 28, 1886.

wi/tmooea UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM DAVES, OF CRANSTONS, NEV YORK.

CIRCUIT-CLOSER FOR RAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,926, dated September 28, 1886.

Application filed November 6, 1885. Serial No. 182,053. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM DAVES, a citizen of the United States, residing in Oranstons, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit-Closers for Rails, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of apparatus employed for completing the connections of an electric circuit by the action of a train moving over a railway-track.

The object of the invention is to provide reliable means for placing an electric conductor in connection with the rail of the track with- U out causing the circuit to be formed through the wheels of the trains, as in many other forms of track circuit-closers. This end is desired for the reason that where the circuit is closed by a conductor which is struck by the tread of the wheels there is danger that the surface of the conductor will become coated with the oil and grease which gather upon the Wheels, and thereby fail to complete an electric connection through the wheel.

My invention consists in supporting a circuit-closing bar by means of brackets secured to the rail, and in insulating the bar therefrom in a suitable manner. The bar is so shaped that when a train passes over the track the tread of the wheel will press one end of the bar against the lower flange of the rail with sufficient force to insure a perfect electrical connection. The bar itself is free to move at both ends, so that there will be no danger of its being broken by the weight of the train. The insulated bar is electrically connected with one pole of a battery, the other pole of which is connected with the rail, and suitable signaling-instruments are designed to be included in the circuit thus formed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 is an end view, of a track circuit-closer embodying the features of this invention. Fig. 3 illustrates amodification.

Referring to the drawings, A represents one of the rails of a track, and B represents a bar, preferably of steel, curved upward at its central portion and supported by means of two brackets, O and D, which are secured to the rail. The bracket 0 consists of two parts, c

and 0 The portion 0 is provided with two inwardly-projecting lugs, c and c". The upper lug is designed to press against the rail itself, and the lower lug of which projects immediately above the flange a of the rail. This portion of the bracket is bolted to the second portion, 0, by bolts 0 and 0 passing through downwardly-projecting extensions 0 and c. A wedge-shaped block of iron or steel, 6, is in serted between the lower ends of the projections, and the bolt 0 passes through it. By means of this construction the upper bolt may be employed for giving sufficient tension to the clamp to grasp and clamp the rail tightly. The construction of the bracket D, which also consists of two parts, is essentially the same as that of the bracket 0, with the exception that the arm a of the former curves slightly, while the arm D is preferably straight. It will be evident that between the lugs of these clamps and the rail there are formed openings through which it is designed that the bar B shall extend. It is necessary to insulate this bar from the rails and supports, and for this reason a block, F, of insulating material is placed against the curved portion of the rail above the flange a. This block extends through both of the clamps. Against the face of the block at each clamp there is preferably placed a plate of insulating materialsuch as vulcanized fiberas shown atff", and the bar rests against these plates. Beneath the bar at each clamp there is placed a block of soft vulcanized rubber, as shown at K and K upon which the bar rests. Plates of vulcanized fiber, k, k, and 7c, are placed in each clamp, for the purpose of insulating and separating the bar from the upper and outer sides of the clamps. In this manner the bar is securely held in both clamps and prevented from being displaced. By adjusting the position and the thickness of the rubber blocks the height of the bar above the rail may be modified. Preferably the curved portion extends above the rail about half an inch, and the end n is about onefourth of an inch above the flange of the rail. A train passing over the rail, it is evident, will press the bar downward, causing the end n to grind against the flange of the rail, and thus secure a good electrical connection. A conductor, 1, is designed to be is connected with the rail by a conductor, 2,

through a signaling-instrument, B. By leaving both ends of the bar free all danger of its being broken by the pressure of the train is avoided, for when the movement of the end n is arrested, the end n may still move, by

reason of the bar sliding through the bracket D. By adjusting the position of the clamp 0 toward and away from theclamp D theheight of the end at above the flangea may be modified, and this will in some instances be found a more'convenientmethod of adjustment than changing the thickness of the rubber cushion placed beneath it. By 'modifying the height of the end n above the flange a the amount of weight required to operate the circuit closer may be modified so that while it will not respond to lighterweights-such as hand-cars'it will be operated by passenger and freight trains.

In Fig. 3 there is shown amodification in which the bar B is not necessarily insulated from the rails, but may be in electrical connection with one of the rails,whilethe endn is designed to strike against the flange 0f the adjacent rail, A, the two rails A :andA' being insulated from eachiother,vas shown at M, any convenient form of insulation being employed. The bar Bis in this instancesupported in clamps in essentially the'same' man ner as described with reference to Figs. land 2, with the exception that the :insulating bl'ock F, which is preferably of oak or some similar material, (shown in Fig. 2,) is not necessary, but a plate of iron may be substituted therefor, if found desirable.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with a railway-track, of a bar supported from one of the rails of said track, and projecting above said rail and'extending at one end beyond the end of the abutting rail, a contact-surface at the end of the'bar, a contact-surface upon the lower flange of the abutting rail, and a yielding cushion normally holding said -bar away from said flange, but permitting it to be pressed into contact there with.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with a railway-track, of an insulated circuit-closing bar free to move at both ends, and clamps secured to the rails for supporting said bar, a contact-surface upon the lower fiangeof one of the rails, and means for causing one end of the said bar to strike said surface by the pressure of the wheels of a passing train.

3. The combination, substantially ashereinbefore set forth, with a railway-track and a contact-surface upon the lower flange of a rail of said track, 10f an insulated circuit-closing bar'free to move .at both ends, and operated by paSsi-ngtrains tocomplete a circuit through said contact-surface directly without the intervention of the wheels of the train as a-conductin medium.

4. T e'conrbination, substantially as hereinbeforeset forth, with abattery and a railwaytrack, of the insulated bar B, supported therefrom, and ele'ctrically connected with 'oneipole of said battery, aicontact-surface consistingof the flange of a rai-ltelectrically connected with the-otherpole :of said "battery, and-means,-substantially such as :described, for permitting saidubar toxstrikeagainst said contact-surface under the influence of the weight of a passing train.

5. "Thecombination, substantially as hereinbefore set :forth, with a railway-track and a contact-surface consisting of the lower flange of a rail of said track of an insulated circuitcl'osin'g bar operatednbypassing trains to complete a circuit through said contact-surface directly without t-heinterventionof the wheels of the train as a conducting medium.

:In testimony whereof I havehereunto sub- 7 scribed my namethis=28th day vof- October, A.

D. 1885. I r

7 WILLIAM DAVES.

' Witnesses:

DANL. WJEDG OQMB, Cnzrnnns A. TERRY. 

